UMass Boston Student Alyssa Trinidad Among “29 Who Shine” in 2013

Twenty-nine outstanding 2013 graduates of community colleges, state universities, and the University of Massachusetts were honored for both academic achievement and their contributions to the Commonwealth in a State House ceremony last week.

Alyssa Trinidad, a management major from Winthrop, is the “29 Who Shine” award winner from the University of Massachusetts Boston.

Trinidad is not only a classroom leader — an honors student with a 3.94 grade point average and a concentration in accounting — but serves as a mentor to her fellow students. She has served as the student speaker at campus Welcome Day and Open House events, addressing thousands of incoming students and their families, and serves as a College of Management Peer LEADer and Ambassador.

After graduation, Trinidad will hold her third summer internship at Deloitte, one of the “Big Four” international accounting and professional services firms. She is pursuing a master’s degree in accounting this fall at Boston College.

“Alyssa is just a pro in every way,” said Joyce Morrissey, the university’s honors program coordinator who Trinidad calls a mentor. “She’s an outstanding student and a fantastic mentor."

Trinidad came to UMass Boston as a recipient of a Chancellor’s Scholarship.

She is a member of the Golden Key International Honour Society and Alpha Lambda Delta honor society, and is an officer in Delta Sigma Pi. She is a volunteer for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, where she uses her accounting skills to help the organization manage donations and fiscal records.

Trinidad says she is leaving UMass Boston with “strong relationships.”

“I’ve had such a full college experience here. It’s not enough to have an academic experience here, just to come to class and learn. There’s so much more that UMass Boston offers,” she said. “There are so many opportunities whether it’s clubs and organizations, having that social aspect, or seeking other academic opportunities. I studied abroad in Oxford for a semester. Or even the professional opportunities we have here like our career fair, which is how I landed my internship at Deloitte. Just so many opportunities.”

In May 2011, the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education launched “29 Who Shine,” a program to recognize outstanding students representing each of our 29 public campuses. The honorees, chosen because of their academic achievements and record of student leadership and community service, stand poised to contribute greatly to the civic life and economic well-being of the state. Whether furthering their education or entering careers here in Massachusetts in fields as diverse as education, public policy, medicine, creative arts, and engineering, they truly embody the vibrant future that we all envision for the Commonwealth.

In addition to receiving the “29 Who Shine” recognition, Trinidad will also receive the Mary B. Newman Award for Academic Excellence, Dean's Award for Undergraduate Service, and the Accounting Concentration Award at the College of Management’s Commencement and Convocation Ceremony.

About UMass Boston
With a growing reputation for innovative research addressing complex issues, the University of Massachusetts Boston, metropolitan Boston’s only public university, offers its diverse student population both an intimate learning environment and the rich experience of a great American city. UMass Boston’s nine colleges and graduate schools serve nearly 16,000 students while engaging local, national, and international constituents through academic programs, research centers, and public service activities. To learn more about UMass Boston, visit www.umb.edu.